Lithuania

Lithuanian folk dances and song ensemble VORUTA

“Voruta” is the folk dances and song ensemble of Vilnius College (Vilniaus kolegija /University of Applied Sciences), which was established in 1959. A large number of dances, songs and compositions were performed and are performed until now. During all these years several generations of participants have changed. The ensemble has been organizing and growing very slowly while adding not only dancing and playing music youth to the artistic activities.

The name of ensemble was entitled in 1985. Voruta was one of the defensive castles, when the king Mindaugas ruled Lithuania. The first time this stronghold was mentioned in 1252. Today‘s “Voruta” – students of Vilnius college /University of Applied Sciences), who are dancing, singing and playing music youth.

Voruta’s team is fostering the traditions of folk art, and constantly is looking for new expression of artistic forms; it is still trying to find the key to the hearts of audience by youthfulness, dynamism and professionalism.

Orchestra plays by traditional folk instruments: whistle, accordion, double bass, wooden bells, archangels. The national costumes of ensemble are created by folk designers and are made to reflect each region of Lithuania.

Voruta brings together traditional folk dance group, joins harmonized Lithuanian folk songs, even songs created by composers for our vocal group of folk music. This year we are creating an orchestra of folk music instruments. In 2007 we began to participate in the Lithuanian Song Festival with the strongest Lithuanian songs and dances ensembles. UNESCO has acknowledged the traditions of Lithuanian songs and dances as world importance masterpiece.

Voruta is intensively performing in Lithuania and around the country, participates in different folk dances’ festivals, in international projects and in Baltic students' song and dance festival “Gaudeamus”.

Voruta performed in many international festivals in Great Britain, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Finland, Sweden, Ireland, Turkey and many other countries. Voruta - the first team which in 1993 represented Lithuania in the oldest folk festival “Europiada“ in Denmark and has led this festival in Lithuania (2008).

The ensemble collaborates with Lithuanian emigrants while assisting for the people who live outside the homeland to foster national culture. While organizing seminars and concerts we share our experience with Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Poland, the Lithuanian communities.

At the end of December of 2009, in Vilnius College Dance Ensemble, Voruta celebrated the 50-years anniversary of creative work. The ensemble leaders created two part concert, which was dedicated to mention the Lithuanian Millennium and Voruta anniversary.

In 2016. Voruta has participated in the World culture festival in Berlin, where were about 50,000 participants from 151 countries. There were many unique sights, sounds, tastes and mesmerizing variety of all world‘s continents in one place!

Voruta continues it’s creative concerts activity and always seeks for new expressions of dances, songs and music. This organization cherishes Lithuanian folk and art traditions by participating in the guard of heritage and it’s spreading.

Some of the international festivals VORUTA dance ensamble has participated at:

Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod – Wales , GB (1990),

Festival of European folk culture EUROPIADE:

the 30th in Denmark (1993), the 31th in Germany (1994), the 33th in Italy (1996) and 46th in Lithuania (2009)